Method and apparatus for applying belt hooks



March 25',- 1924.`

W. H. BRISTOL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING BLT HOOKS Filed bec. ze. i922 Y ff @5. 1341313 26 za IN VEN TOR Patented Mar. 25, i924.

WILLIAM H. BRISTOL, OF

wnrnaeuar, CONNECTICUT.

METHOD AND APPARATUSFOR .APPLYING BELT HOOKS.

Application led December- 26, 1922. Serial No. 609,066.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BRISTOL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven Vand State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Apparatus for Applying Belt Hooks, of which the following is a speci` fication. Y

The invention relates to a method for securing belt hooks in the ends of belts, and to a novel belt lacing device for this purpose.

It has for its object a method and apparatus by which it will beunnecessary to provide the hooks on cards, as is the present practice, although the apparatus does not preclude theuse of hooks thuscarded. A further object `,of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive lacing device which will be of such small size as to be particularly suitable as a standard equipment for shops, garages, etc., where it becomes necessary frequently to repair or install belts, and which device will require only the use of a hammer or similar toolfor applying the hooks.

In carrying out the invention, the hooks are arranged to be positioned in suitable guides, individually or carded, as desired, then positively confined by holding oneJ side, prongs of the other side being depressed in suitable guide grooves to permit the prongs ofthe held sides to be secured to the belt end, whereupon the belt ,with one set of prongs attached is turned over upon an anvil and the remaining prongs of the other side of the hooks pressed into the belt thereon. Y

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood 4when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan of the improved lacer.

Fig. 2 is a frontview, and Fig. 3 a side view thereof.

Figs. 4 to 8 are sectional views illustrating the operation of securing belt hooks to the end of a belt.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts thruout the several views.

.Referringto the drawings, 10 designates a block of metal of suitable dimensions to accommodate the various sizes of belt for which the block is designed and to which the belt hooks 11 are to be applied.- 'Ihe hooks employed are of standard and well known design, having prongs 12 inwardly directed from the sides 13 and being selected as to size according to the thickness of the belt toV bee-quipped therewith.. Substantially midfway of the upper surface of the block there is journalled an oscillating holding or locking lbar 14 which is provided along its one edge with a plurality of in- Y wardly directed locating cuts or slots l5,

equidistantly spaced and affording corresponding teeth 16 whose outer surface is properly squared to provide a suit-able gauge 17 for therbelt. vThe `,spacing of the slots is in accordance with the desired distance between the hooks, as to be applied to the belt; and the said slots are designed to receive the hooks Yas Ywill hereinafter be more fully set forth. -These slots, moreover, are designed to register with a plurality of similarly spaced grooves 2O in the upper surface of the block and angularly directed therefrom downwardly toward the front face, the angie of cut positioning a hook symmetrically with referenoe to the belt end and of sufficient depth so that a prong will not project above the' surface of the slotted bloclr. Thus, there is no interference with laying the end of a belt in position for driving therein a row`of` the exposed prongs of the sides held in slots l5.

A longitudinal groove 2l, moreover, is provided across the said angular grooves 2O in the upper surface of the block; and there is mounted in this latter groove, for movement upwardly, a guide and positioning bar 22 which, in itsextreme upward position,

is arranged to project a predetermined distance above the surface of the block and its angular grooves. The ends 23 of the guide andpositioning bar are arranged to extend beyond the sides of the block to adord convenient means Vfor raising and lowering the said bar, The teeth 16 in the oscillating holding bar 14 are, furthermore, drilled to receive a pin orV rod 24 for holding or locking the hooks. The upper surface of the block, opposite to the grooved portion, is perfectly smooth and of hard material to provide an anvil 25 upon which the prongs of one side of the hooks 11 may be pressed into the belt ends, as by hammering same upon the anvil, the prongs of the other side being hammered into the belt on the surface of the grooved portion.

In the operation of securing hooks to belt ends, it is understood that the latter are first tov be perfectly squared. It has heretofore been the practice to provide the hooks therefor on a card on which said hooks are properly disposed in order to position same correctly with respect to the cuts or grooves of a die member of a pressing machine; and, after being properly positioned and locked, to remove the card and press the hooks into the belt by operating levers of the pressing machine. l/Vhile, of course, in carrying out theJ improved method, the hooks may be provided in carded condition for use in the improved lacing apparatus, this is entirely unnecessary as individual hooks may be rapidly located on the block as follows, it being appreciated also that the hooks in loose condition may be furnished much more cheaply than in carded condition.

. Assuming that loose hooks are to be employed, the guide and positioning bar 22, for convenience in locating the loose hooks, will then be employed and be lifted upwardly to the position indicated in dotted lines, F ig. 2; and the oscillating bar 14 is retained on the surface in the position to have its slots 15 register with the angular' grooves 20. The hooks 11 are then severally dropped into the portion of the guiding slots and grooves comprehended between the two bars with their sides 13 contacting therewith, Fig. 4. After the requisite number of hooks for the particular width of'belt it is desired to equip with the hooks have been thus placed, the locking rod 24 is inserted thru the series of holes in the ends of the teeth of the oscillating bar to hold the hooks to the latter. The guide bar 22 is then depressed to allow the one side of the respective hooks to bottom in the grooves 2O with their prongs below the surface, F ig. 5. The belt end 26 is then inserted under the exposed prongs of the upper and held sides, the other sides being held individually in the respective grooves against lateral displacement and the bottom surface' of each groove serving as an anvil in the insertion of the said upper prongs of the hooks. This is best effected by hammering said prongs into the belt, which is supported on the surface provided by the material between the grooves 20, and the proper distance in from the belt edge being gauged thru contact of said belt edge against the squared ends of the teeth 16 as an abutment and gauge 17 and against which it is to be firmly held. In this manner, the belt will be properly squared and positioned as to the particular portion for receiving the prongs 12 of the hooks. Thereupon, the oscillating bar 14 is turned over, with belt attached, to a position in which the finished side with the hooks embedded in the belt rests upon the anvil 25, Fig. 7. The prongs which have been lying in the grooves 20 will thereby come up on top and be in position to be secured to the other Y side ofthe belt. This is accomplished by hammering same in the belt upon the anvil, F ig. 8, and the rod 24 is thereupon withdrawn to release the hooks attached to the belt from the oscillating bar. In the case of carded hooks, the positioning bar will be dispensed with, the hooks being heldin place by the rod 24 whilel the card is being removed, whereupon the process is carried on the same as if the hooks had not been carded.

I claim 1. The method of inserting belt hooks of the character described, which consists in locating the hooks and depressing one side of the hooks below a surface, inserting the belt end under the exposed prongs, securing.

the same in the belt, then overturning the hooks and belt to bring the secured prongs and the belt against the surface, and securing the free prongs to the belt upon said surface. Y

2. The method of inserting belt hooks of the charac-ter described, which consists in positioning the hooks by engaging both sides thereof, positively locating the hooks by holding one side, releasing theo-ther side to depress same below a surface, inserting the belt end under the exposed prongs, securing the same in the belt, overturningA the hooks and belt to cause the finished side of the latter to rest upon the surface, and securing the free prongs to the belt upon saidV surface.

3. Apparatus for securing belt hooks, comprising a block having downwardly and outwardly extending grooves over a portion of its surface of sufficient depth to receive one side of a belt fastener includingi its penetrating prong, an oscillatable member carried by said block having slots, inwardly directed from its free edge, which are adapted in one position of the oscillatable member to register with the said grooves, said grooves and slots beingldesigned to receive the hooks, and meansto hold the hooks to said oscillatable member.

4. Apparatus for securing belt hooks, comprising a block having grooves over a portion of the surface, a guide `member movably secured in the block transversely ofthe grooves therein and adapted to be rojected beyond the upper surface thereo an oscillatable slotted member, said grooves and slots being adapted to receive the-belt hooks, and means to temporarily hold the hoo-ks to said oscillatable member, said hooks in an overturned position of the said member being adapted to rest against a further surface of the block serving as an anvil for securing the hooks to the belt. Y

5. Apparatus for securing belt hooks, comprising a block having groovesA over a portion of the surface, a guide member movably secured in the block transversely of the grooves therein and adapted to be projected beyond the upper surface thereof, extensions at the sides of the guide member whereby the same may be moved, an oscillatable slotted member, said grooves and slots being adapted to receive the belt hooks, and means to temporarily hold the hooks to said oscil- N latable member, said hooks in an overturned position of the said member being adapted to rest against a further surface of the block serving,l as an anvil for securing hooks to the belt.

Signed at Waterbury, in the county of ew Haven and State of Connecticut, this 22nd day of December A. D. 1922.

WILLIAM H. BRISTOL. 

